What Great Minds Can Do: Kalliopi Logothetis  

Kalliopi Logothetis '19 earned a bachelor's degree in both Secondary Education and History, with a minor in Women and Gender Studies. She served as the President of the New Jersey Student Educators Association and the Vice President of the Hellenic Student Organization on top of her already substantial academic workload. She has worked as a teaching intern in Cranford, Newark and South Orange. She has also completed an internship with the Morris Museum in Morris Township, New Jersey. She has decided to continue her education and pursue a career in law. 

Could you describe your senior Honors research project on co-education? 
My project focused on the coeducation movement in the 1960s at Seton Hall University, paying particular attention to the changing attitudes during this decade. I examined how women attending Seton Hall experienced those changes. To some extent, Seton Hall was following a similar narrative of other Catholic and non-secular colleges and universities in the 1960s. While the final decision for coeducation was implemented through a decision by the Board of Trustees, this decision was based on various pressures of the time including the need to alleviate financial burdens that were escalating yearly, and social pressures from Seton Hall administration and faculty, who were urging the university to change its policies on coeducation at the South Orange campus. My paper examines these changing attitudes and how women at the extension schools and the initial cohort of women on the main Seton Hall campus were able to enjoy all the benefits of being part of the South Orange community in the revolutionary decade of the 1960s. 

Could you describe your research process? What kinds of sources have you found the most helpful? 
I found that the most helpful resources could be located in Seton Hall's archives, but I've also used the oral histories from past Seton Hall graduates. These have the most insight about what was going on during the 1960s. Although relying on memories of alumni cannot always be taken at face value, in many instances I have been able to corroborate evidence with information I have found in the school’s newspaper, The Setonian. I have also been able to find interesting evidence in documents from the Office of the Dean of Women as well as the Dean of Men.

Is there something particularly interesting about your topic that you've found through your research?
I think there are so many interesting areas in my research. It is evident that there were different gender expectations and it could either work to their advantage or disadvantage. For example, when the Dean of Women was urging the Board of Trustees to recognize a constant threat of danger for women, she constructed her argument around gender theories. I found this fascinating because gender was the main factor that disallowed women from living on the main South Orange Campus in the first place.

What has been your favorite time period/subject of historical study throughout your studies?
I have particularly enjoyed looking at U.S. History through the eyes of women. It was in Professor May's "Women in American History" courses where I realized just how little most people know about the progression of women's history in the U.S. and around the world. Ever since that experience, I have been passionate about investigating and developing my own understanding of the ways in which women negotiated the space that they were often confined in based on the societal norms of the day. 

What has been your favorite History course at Seton Hall so far, and why? 
It is difficult to choose a favorite class because I have found something enjoyable about all the classes I have taken. I generally enjoy courses where we're taught to think critically about different moments in history. Professor May's "Women in the U.S." course and Professor Giblin-Gedacht's "History of Traditional Japan" course were definitely ones I have enjoyed the most here at Seton Hall. These classes drove my curiosity about women and gender studies, and I've even been able to incorporate my interest in that subject matter in other history classes. For example, Dr. Giblin-Gedacht's course was not focused on women, but I was able to research and learn more about the early Geisha, which was a topic that fascinated me.